Five days in fabulous Finland
December 6, 2003 | 12:00am
Today marks Finland’s Independence Day. Most Filipinos are really not too acquainted with Finnish culture, the country or its people except for the steady challenge Finns like Mika "Iceman" Immonen give our world-champion pool players Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante. Arguably the most notable influences Finland has had on our country in the last half-century have been Armi Kusela and Nokia. But of course there’s more to Finland than just phones, beauty and a shared ability to pocket balls in a pool table.
I found this out recently when I and the legendary Armando Doronilla (accompanied by his charming wife) visited Helsinki, famed capital of fabulous Finland. The flight from Manila was smooth and arriving at Helsinki International Airport early in the morning I immediately noticed the fine craftsmanship in glass, steel and wood evidenced in their modern airport. Finland and their neighboring Nordic countries have a reputation in contemporary design that extends from appliances to airports, furniture to fine housing, textiles to telephones.
This excellence in design extends to the city planning and urban design of the capital. Helsinki shares many historical parallels to Manila. The city was established 21 years ahead of Manila in 1550. Like Manila Bay Helsinki’s bay is guarded by a sea fortress–Suomenlinna – which like Corregidor and Fort Santiago is a popular tourist attraction. The city and the country were under two colonial powers just like the Philippines. For the Finns these were Sweden (from the 16th to the 19th century) and Russia (until 1917). Like the Spanish and American regimes here, these two foreign cultures influenced Finnish art and culture. Helsinki was fashioned in the image of St. Petersburg, Russia’s neo-classic capital. The Burnham Plan for Manila sought to shape the colonial capital into the Washington D.C. of the tropics. Unlike Manila, however, Helsinki managed to survive the war with most of its architectural heritage intact.
Helsinki has kept this wonderful old city fabric and improved on it without reducing its humane scale and look. This has led numerous Hollywood productions to use the city as a backdrop for movies requiring Eastern European settings. The city’s Senate Square, the central plaza of the metropolis has doubled as the Red Square several times. In recent years Finland and Helsinki have also produced critically-acclaimed films.
Real life in the city is actually much better than any Hollywood film or Disneyland could portray. This place is the real deal. People actually live, work and find great leisure in this city of one million souls. (The country itself is only five million or so strong). Trams, subways and bicycles move people around minus the choking traffic and pollution we find normal in Manila. Several streets are pedestrianized and the city is as clean and green as a giant Central Park. In fact, Helsinki is blessed with a central park twice the size of New York’s!
The city is also filled with art and culture. Over three hundred sculptures embellish the cityscape from classical statuary to abstract pieces. Street performers and musicians add vibrancy to street corners while more formal presentations are mounted in the National Opera and Finlandia (Alvar Aalto’s masterpiece cultural center). Both facilities are within a short tram ride to the city center where I stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Doronilla. We were treated by our hosts to a new opera on our second evening there. We saw how such offerings were part and parcel of ordinary Finns cultural fare.
Back to the city and its attractions: We were surprised to find out that most of the city’s main attractions were within walking distance of each other. The Eliel Saarinen-designed train terminal (like our Tutuban) is the focus of a business district that includes the Sanomatalo, headquarters of Helsingen Sanomat–the country’s leading daily. Finns read newspapers and have the second highest per capital readership of newspapers and books in the world.
The Senate Square, which I mentioned earlier, was a stone’s throw from our hotel and from there the city’s friendly waterfront is another three blocks away. All roads, in fact, lead to the water and the city’s hippest districts are along the water. Many of these areas are redeveloped from the old maritime-based activities and have become the most sought-after real estate in the city (something that Manila could emulate with its Port area).
We also visited the Finnish Parliament to get a first hand view at one of the most transparent and corruption-free governments in the world. We were toured around the elegant neo-classic building and actually brought in to one of the parliament’s sessions. We did not understand Finnish or Swedish but it did seem that there was much more participation by popular representatives. And no one was sleeping on the job (or texting on their phones like our lackadaisical senators and congressmen)!
On the third and fourth days, whilst the Doronillas were touring other sites, I opted to take architectural tours. I visited the Finnish Museum of Architecture (we should have one here) where old architectural drawings, models, pictures and documentation of all important Finnish buildings are kept and regularly displayed. Equally engrossing was the Alvar Aalto Museum and Studio. Aalto is an idol of the modern movement and generations of Filipino architects. Finally, I went on an extended walking tour (one of several outlined in tourist brochures easily available in the numerous tourism offices in the city — wonderful places that even offer free email for tourists). Helsinki is eminently tourist and pedestrian-friendly — no sidewalk vendors, no utility poles to run into, no cars parked on the bangketa, smooth pavements, good lighting, rational non-pink colored signage, and actual heritage structures, plazas and parks lovingly conserved.
On the penultimate day I managed to visit Habitare, the largest furniture, construction and design Fair in Finland, which is held every two years. It was amazing how much of their own construction materials, furniture and appliances are made locally or are sourced from their Nordic region. (While we have not industrialized enough to make our own ball pens and even have to import structural steel and finishing stone.) Their wood and their ability to process it in multifarious environmentally-sustainable ways is amazing. The Finnish timber industry actually plants more than it harvests even if the country is a net exporter of timber products. Truly, we have a lot to learn from the Finns.
Finally I also got to visit the Mecca of cellphones–Nokia. The telecommunications giant’s operations are spread over several complexes in and around Helsinki. I visited Nokia House, its newest addition, a marvel of glass, steel and well-designed wood-accented interiors. The complex is located in Espoo, just a few minutes drive from central Helsinki. It is a twin-wing structure organized around two large atria, which allow light and air into the building and also provides a great setting for meeting rooms and several indoor cafes. This is where Nokians (Nokia employees) gather for a meal or informal meetings. Several Filipinos come to the complex for regular training programs along with representatives from Nokia’s extended family worldwide.
Truly, Finland and the Finns are fascinating. They have taken their country to the cutting edge of sustainable growth, good governance, high technology and people-centered, culturally-sensitive development. There are lots of lessons to be learned from their success stories. I hope we Filipinos manage someday to be able to compete with the friendly Finns in arenas more than just the pool table. Until then, Happy Independence Day to all the Finns in the Philippines! Mabuhay!
Feedback is welcome. Please email the writer at citysensephilstar@hotmail.com.
If you’re still short on Christmas gifts to give you can give a gift of heritage. The Heritage Conservation Society has produced a lovely 2004 Calendar filled with beautiful photographs of our Spanish-era churches. For orders, please call the HCS at 521-2239, 522-2497. Proceeds will help fund the HCS’ programs to save our national heritage.
I found this out recently when I and the legendary Armando Doronilla (accompanied by his charming wife) visited Helsinki, famed capital of fabulous Finland. The flight from Manila was smooth and arriving at Helsinki International Airport early in the morning I immediately noticed the fine craftsmanship in glass, steel and wood evidenced in their modern airport. Finland and their neighboring Nordic countries have a reputation in contemporary design that extends from appliances to airports, furniture to fine housing, textiles to telephones.
This excellence in design extends to the city planning and urban design of the capital. Helsinki shares many historical parallels to Manila. The city was established 21 years ahead of Manila in 1550. Like Manila Bay Helsinki’s bay is guarded by a sea fortress–Suomenlinna – which like Corregidor and Fort Santiago is a popular tourist attraction. The city and the country were under two colonial powers just like the Philippines. For the Finns these were Sweden (from the 16th to the 19th century) and Russia (until 1917). Like the Spanish and American regimes here, these two foreign cultures influenced Finnish art and culture. Helsinki was fashioned in the image of St. Petersburg, Russia’s neo-classic capital. The Burnham Plan for Manila sought to shape the colonial capital into the Washington D.C. of the tropics. Unlike Manila, however, Helsinki managed to survive the war with most of its architectural heritage intact.
Helsinki has kept this wonderful old city fabric and improved on it without reducing its humane scale and look. This has led numerous Hollywood productions to use the city as a backdrop for movies requiring Eastern European settings. The city’s Senate Square, the central plaza of the metropolis has doubled as the Red Square several times. In recent years Finland and Helsinki have also produced critically-acclaimed films.
Real life in the city is actually much better than any Hollywood film or Disneyland could portray. This place is the real deal. People actually live, work and find great leisure in this city of one million souls. (The country itself is only five million or so strong). Trams, subways and bicycles move people around minus the choking traffic and pollution we find normal in Manila. Several streets are pedestrianized and the city is as clean and green as a giant Central Park. In fact, Helsinki is blessed with a central park twice the size of New York’s!
The city is also filled with art and culture. Over three hundred sculptures embellish the cityscape from classical statuary to abstract pieces. Street performers and musicians add vibrancy to street corners while more formal presentations are mounted in the National Opera and Finlandia (Alvar Aalto’s masterpiece cultural center). Both facilities are within a short tram ride to the city center where I stayed with Mr. and Mrs. Doronilla. We were treated by our hosts to a new opera on our second evening there. We saw how such offerings were part and parcel of ordinary Finns cultural fare.
Back to the city and its attractions: We were surprised to find out that most of the city’s main attractions were within walking distance of each other. The Eliel Saarinen-designed train terminal (like our Tutuban) is the focus of a business district that includes the Sanomatalo, headquarters of Helsingen Sanomat–the country’s leading daily. Finns read newspapers and have the second highest per capital readership of newspapers and books in the world.
The Senate Square, which I mentioned earlier, was a stone’s throw from our hotel and from there the city’s friendly waterfront is another three blocks away. All roads, in fact, lead to the water and the city’s hippest districts are along the water. Many of these areas are redeveloped from the old maritime-based activities and have become the most sought-after real estate in the city (something that Manila could emulate with its Port area).
We also visited the Finnish Parliament to get a first hand view at one of the most transparent and corruption-free governments in the world. We were toured around the elegant neo-classic building and actually brought in to one of the parliament’s sessions. We did not understand Finnish or Swedish but it did seem that there was much more participation by popular representatives. And no one was sleeping on the job (or texting on their phones like our lackadaisical senators and congressmen)!
On the third and fourth days, whilst the Doronillas were touring other sites, I opted to take architectural tours. I visited the Finnish Museum of Architecture (we should have one here) where old architectural drawings, models, pictures and documentation of all important Finnish buildings are kept and regularly displayed. Equally engrossing was the Alvar Aalto Museum and Studio. Aalto is an idol of the modern movement and generations of Filipino architects. Finally, I went on an extended walking tour (one of several outlined in tourist brochures easily available in the numerous tourism offices in the city — wonderful places that even offer free email for tourists). Helsinki is eminently tourist and pedestrian-friendly — no sidewalk vendors, no utility poles to run into, no cars parked on the bangketa, smooth pavements, good lighting, rational non-pink colored signage, and actual heritage structures, plazas and parks lovingly conserved.
On the penultimate day I managed to visit Habitare, the largest furniture, construction and design Fair in Finland, which is held every two years. It was amazing how much of their own construction materials, furniture and appliances are made locally or are sourced from their Nordic region. (While we have not industrialized enough to make our own ball pens and even have to import structural steel and finishing stone.) Their wood and their ability to process it in multifarious environmentally-sustainable ways is amazing. The Finnish timber industry actually plants more than it harvests even if the country is a net exporter of timber products. Truly, we have a lot to learn from the Finns.
Finally I also got to visit the Mecca of cellphones–Nokia. The telecommunications giant’s operations are spread over several complexes in and around Helsinki. I visited Nokia House, its newest addition, a marvel of glass, steel and well-designed wood-accented interiors. The complex is located in Espoo, just a few minutes drive from central Helsinki. It is a twin-wing structure organized around two large atria, which allow light and air into the building and also provides a great setting for meeting rooms and several indoor cafes. This is where Nokians (Nokia employees) gather for a meal or informal meetings. Several Filipinos come to the complex for regular training programs along with representatives from Nokia’s extended family worldwide.
Truly, Finland and the Finns are fascinating. They have taken their country to the cutting edge of sustainable growth, good governance, high technology and people-centered, culturally-sensitive development. There are lots of lessons to be learned from their success stories. I hope we Filipinos manage someday to be able to compete with the friendly Finns in arenas more than just the pool table. Until then, Happy Independence Day to all the Finns in the Philippines! Mabuhay!
If you’re still short on Christmas gifts to give you can give a gift of heritage. The Heritage Conservation Society has produced a lovely 2004 Calendar filled with beautiful photographs of our Spanish-era churches. For orders, please call the HCS at 521-2239, 522-2497. Proceeds will help fund the HCS’ programs to save our national heritage.
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